Accident at Lake Rawlings Sunday 05/27/2012

[Gills would be better]

This ladies and gentlemen is factual.

Thanks Diveva, for clearing that up.
I guess I just have a different method of teaching as an instructor (yes, Highwing, I am an instructor with thousands of dives; decades of experience). I normally end up swimming backwards during the dive tours so I can keep and eye on my students. But then, I always have a DM following the group to make sure no one gets lost, or can offer immediate assistance if a problem arises.

I apologize to those who thought I was trying to start a murder conspiracy, that was not my intent. I was just asking for some clarification, which Diveva was so kind to provide.

And yes, I've read all the posts since they started, and this is my 2nd blog. I guess I have too many other things to do than provide speculative legal advice (nope, not an attorney), pontificate, or offer rumors like those who are on their 132nd post. Geezus - 132?!? Really?

I also contacted PADI, but of course they simply say they won't release any information (zero, nada) about the incident and simply refer you to the appropriate section in the Instructor Manual (yeah, HighWing, I have one of those, too) or their Quality Management website. Thanks so much, PADI.

Other than the very factual tidbits we hear, and you have to be careful even with that info, everything else is just speculation.

 

[JimmyC]

Incredible!
I just went through this entire post and it’s just simply incredible to say the least. I was awakened because of work and couldn’t go back to sleep, so I thought I’d add my last post to this thread. Here are my thoughts:

1. A very sad set of tragic events lead to the death of an OW student, that much I do know. What I don’t know is what really happened because I was not there.
2. A lot of folks, in my humble opinion, have offered some plausible explanations, but the reality is I don’t know if they are plausible because I was not there.
3. Suppositions, allegations, discussion of standards, bashing, hearsay of reliable sources, opinions etc. what is true what is not true, I don’t know I was not there.
4. Who caused what, who is or is not responsible, I don’t know; I was not there.
5. I can’t give a thought or opinion on the events, the conditions, the law, who is responsible; because I was not there.

What I do know:

1. A young lady in the prime of her life passed and a lot of folks; especially her husband and family are grieving and deserve better than some of the crap I have read in this blog.
2. I know that as an instructor, I will always follow the standards of my agency and do the best job I can teaching my student to be safe, use the buddy system, check their gear, check their gas supply often and even more often as you go deeper, etc., and to teach according to my agency’s standards.
3. I know that I will tell my students that it is ok to forgo a dive if they don’t feel up to it and the group should respect this. There is no shame in saying no.
4. I know that I will teach them to take the appropriate gear depending on the dive.
5. I know that I will teach them to dive because they want to and to dive in their comfort zone.
6. I know that I will always have a DM with me or another instructor and that I personally know that I will teach classes in small numbers. It’s that mutual comfort zone thing.
7. I know that I will not pass a diver if I were not ready to have them as a dive buddy.
8. I know that when I start cutting corners it is time to hang up my teaching fins.
9. I know that I will always make my students my number one priority and those who work with me will do the same.
10. I know that we will always have a mutual respect for each other.

What I owe:

1. I don’t know the instructor or the family, but I owe them the respect to not speculate on this event. I know that I owe them my thoughts and prayers that they will get through this.
2. I owe thanks to all of the of the brave souls that participated in this event to include police, EMTs, Doctors, Rescuers, Pilots, the Staff of Lake Rawlings, Dive Professionals and divers who rendered their efforts to this event.
3. I owe my students my best and complete effort to teach them to dive safely and when I think I can no longer do that I owe it to the diving community to stop teaching.

 

[John_B]

Incredible!
I just went through this entire post and it’s just simply incredible to say the least. I was awakened because of work and couldn’t go back to sleep, so I thought I’d add my last post to this thread. Here are my thoughts:

1. A very sad set of tragic events lead to the death of an OW student, that much I do know. What I don’t know is what really happened because I was not there.
2. A lot of folks, in my humble opinion, have offered some plausible explanations, but the reality is I don’t know if they are plausible because I was not there.
3. Suppositions, allegations, discussion of standards, bashing, hearsay of reliable sources, opinions etc. what is true what is not true, I don’t know I was not there.
4. Who caused what, who is or is not responsible, I don’t know; I was not there.
5. I can’t give a thought or opinion on the events, the conditions, the law, who is responsible; because I was not there.

FYI, the purpose and rules for this particular forum are different (underlining is mine, for emphasis):

Special Rules for Accidents & Incidents Forum

The purpose of this forum is the promotion of safe diving through the examination and discussion of accidents and incidents; to find lessons we can apply to our own diving.
Accidents, and incidents that could easily have become accidents, can often be used to illustrate actions that lead to injury or death, and their discussion is essential to building lessons learned from which improved safety can flow. To foster the free exchange of information valuable to this process, the "manners" in this forum are much more tightly controlled than elsewhere on the board. In addition to the TOS:

(1) You may not release any names here, until after the names have appeared in the public domain (articles, news reports, sheriff's report etc.) The releasing report must be cited. Until such public release, the only name you may use in this forum is your own.
(2) Off topic posts will be removed and off topic comments will be edited.
(3) No flaming, name calling or otherwise attacking other posters. You may attack ideas; you may not attack people.
(4) No trolling; no blamestorming. Mishap analysis does not lay blame, it finds causes.
(5) No "condolences to the family" here. Please use our Passings Forum for these kinds of messages.
(6) If you are presenting information from a source other than your own eyes and ears, cite the source.
(7) If your post is your hypothesis, theory, or a "possible scenario," identify it as such.
(8) If your post is about legal action that concerns a mishap, use the Scuba Related Court Cases forum.
Thanks in advance,
Rick

 

[tbrady]

further analysis of the Oceanic Datamax air integrated dive computer she was using showed she was breathing for only 23 minutes of the 119 minute bottom time according to one of the instructors attending the scene. I have no other information.

 

[tursiops]

further analysis of the Oceanic Datamax air integrated dive computer she was using showed she was breathing for only 23 minutes of the 119 minute bottom time according to one of the instructors attending the scene. I have no other information.

This doesn't ring quite true. Splash provides ProPlus2 computers to its students, not Datamax.


Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[Wookie]

According to the World Wide Web which we all know is never wrong, the real name of the computer is the Oceanic Datamax Pro Plus II, so you're both right.

 

[tursiops]

According to the World Wide Web which we all know is never wrong, the real name of the computer is the Oceanic Datamax Pro Plus II, so you're both right.

Thanks, Wookie. I think of the Datamax as the old hockey puck, not the modern big rectangular one.

At 2100 psi used in 23 minutes, from an AL80, at an average depth of 25 ft, she was pushing 1.4 cuft/min SAC on average over the 23 minutes. Not a relaxed person.

 

[Wookie]

A sac of 1.4 must look a bit like a hose leak. A significant one. Someone must have noticed she was huffing.

 

[AbyssalPlains]

So many people with details but nobody wants to report those details here? I am not sure I understand the motivation behind all of the " I was there and know what happened, but I am not willing to share it and by the way, please stop the speculation" posts. These posts contribute nothing. I, along with many scubaboard members, follow the accidents and incidents forum in hopes of learning from the mistakes of others. Without details we learn nothing and unfortunately far too many of these details are never made available. Are people concerned about repercussions from posting details? Perhaps there needs to be a means to post details anonymously in these threads. There could be a positive aspect for all of these incidents if there was a lesson to be learned, but without details there is no lesson.

I second all of the above.

 

[bankyf]

further analysis of the Oceanic Datamax air integrated dive computer she was using showed she was breathing for only 23 minutes of the 119 minute bottom time according to one of the instructors attending the scene. I have no other information.

If this is true, and they were able to regain a pulse after 98 minutes of not breathing I would be very surprised. Maybe for a small child in freezing water, but that is a stretch for an adult. I thought we had already verified that the time was one hour and nineteen minutes not 119. If that is the case we are only looking at 56 minutes which is slightly more realistic.